Cuisine For Cupid or Culinary Advice for the Lovelorn

Feeling unloved, unappreciated, uninspired? Well, we have the perfect remedy to pop you out of the doldrums and make Valentine’s Day the best yet. Here’s the menu that will corral and coerce your would-be honey into saying please and thank you. And perhaps, in one sigh. First, spin some cool jazz (I have a special affinity for Sarah Vaughan), light the candles, turn the lights down low, and serve this spectacular meal to the one you love.

 

RECIPES

Smoked Oysters with Arugula
Smoked oysters can be found at fish markets, Central Market, or any well-stocked grocery store. Arugula is a delightful green: meaty in flavor and a great foil to the smoky oiliness of the oysters.
Serves 2.

Ingredients
3 3/4-oz can Smoked Oysters, drained
1 Celery Rib, thinly sliced
¼ Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
1/8 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Arugula or Bibb Lettuce Leaves, torn in bite size pieces
1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
1 tablespoons coarsely chopped Parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Toss together the oysters, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, and arugula.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss with salad.

Breast of Duck with Raspberry Sauce
This recipe is very easy and quick to prepare. If you are short on time on Valentine’s Day, prepare the sauce the day before, cool, cover, and refrigerate.
Adapted from Epicurious.com and the Post Hotel at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Serves 2.

Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1½ tablespoons Sugar
3 tablespoons White Wine or Dry Vermouth
3 tablespoons Orange Juice
1 tablespoon Raspberry Vinegar
2/3 cup Frozen Raspberries, thawed
7/8 cup Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Cognac or Brandy
½ tablespoon Clover Honey
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 Duck Breast Halves, With Skin, Boned
¼ cup fresh Raspberries (optional, for garnish)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color, about 5 minutes. Add wine, orange juice, and vinegar (mixture will bubble vigorously) and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the caramel. Add the berries and the chicken broth and continue to boil until the sauce thickens and is reduced to about 1 cup, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Strain sauce into a heavy small sauce pan, pressing on berries with back of spoon. Mix in Cognac and honey. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim any excess fat from breasts. Cut three 4 inch long slits lengthwise through the skin, taking care not to pierce the meat. Season with Kosher salt and pepper. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat until hot. Add duck, skin side down, and sear on the stovetop until brown, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook 3 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven, and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for medium.
Meanwhile, bring sauce to simmer over low heat. Swirl in remaining butter and season to taste.
Spoon sauce onto plates. Slice duck and place atop sauce. Garnish with additional berries.

Steamed Haricots Verts
This is the proverbial keep it simple dish. Serve as is (the duck, sauce, and wild rice provide the richness) or dress the beans with a dollop of butter, salt and pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Haricots Verts are those slender and tender French green beans. They do cost more than your average green bean, but they are worth every penny.
Serves 2.

Ingredients
½ pound Haricot Verts or Green Beans, trimmed

In a steamer set over a saucepan of boiling water steam the beans, covered, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender.

Wild and Brown Rice Pilaf
I have adapted this from a Culinary Institute of America recipe.
Serves 2.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons onion, diced
½ cup brown rice
½ cup wild rice
2 shallots
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
More Butter, if desired to stir into the cooked rice

Sweat the onions in the butter in a heavy oven-proof sauce pan until translucent Add the both the brown and wild rice. Stir to coat the kernels and bring out the nutty popcorn aroma of toasting rice (about 2-3 minutes). Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover the pot tightly. Bake in a 350°F oven until the rice is tender and has absorbed all liquid, about 60 minutes.
Place the unpeeled shallots on a bed of coarse salt in a 375°F oven until the exterior is very crisp, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, remove the skin, and shred the flesh.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
The ultimate food to share!! And one of the easiest desserts in the world to create (except maybe spooning jam directly from the jar). My only caution is to avoid any direct contact between chocolate and water. The chocolate will “seize” or separate into granular masses.
If strawberries are out of season, feel free to use other fruit such as apple, pear, or banana. Dried fruits are also delicious with a coating of chocolate. Try dried apricot or pineapple!
Serves 2.

Ingredients
6 large strawberries, perfect and ripe
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Callebaut, chopped

Line small baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.
Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth. Remove chocolate from over water.
Dip strawberries halfway into melted chocolate. Gently shake off excess chocolate; place strawberry on prepared sheet. (Any excess chocolate can be poured into a plastic wrapped bowl, set, then stored for reuse. Or, the cook can lick the bowl.)
Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to soften.